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Rachael Parnell

When one shopper learned Aldi was offering a new beauty line that appeared akin to products from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

The shopper hurried to her closest shop to purchase the Lacura face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 cost of the Augustinus Bader 50ml cream.

Its streamlined blue container and gold cap of each products look remarkably alike. While she has never tried the luxury cream, she claims she's pleased by the product so far.

She has been using lookalike products from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for years, and she's part of a trend.

Over a quarter of UK consumers state they've tried a skincare or makeup dupe. This increases to nearly half among younger adults, according to a February survey.

Alternatives are skincare products that imitate established brands and provide cost-effective substitutes to premium items. These products typically have similar labels and design, but in some cases the components can change considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Isn't Always Superior'

Beauty experts say many dupes to premium brands are good standard and help make beauty routines cheaper.

"In my opinion costlier is invariably more effective," says consultant dermatologist one expert. "Not every budget product line is bad - and not every premium skincare product is the finest."

"Some [dupes] are truly impressive," notes a podcast host, who runs a podcast featuring celebrities.

A lot of of the items modeled on high-end labels "run out so fast, it's just unbelievable," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist Ross Perry believes alternatives are fine to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Alternatives will serve a purpose," he comments. "These items will do the basics to a satisfactory level."

Another skin doctor, advises you can spend less when seeking simple-formula items like HA, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're purchasing a simple product then you're probably going to be fine in opting for a budget alternative or a product which is very affordable because there's not much that can cause issues," she adds.

'Do Not Be Sold by the Packaging'

However the experts also advise consumers check details and note that higher-priced items are at times worth the extra money.

With luxury beauty products, you're not only paying for the brand and advertising - sometimes the higher cost also comes from the components and their standard, the strength of the active ingredient, the research used to produce the product, and studies into the products' performance, she explains.

Skin therapist Rhian Truman suggests it's valuable considering how some alternatives can be offered so inexpensively.

Sometimes, she says they might include bulking agents that don't have as many benefits for the complexion, or the components might not be as high-quality.

"One key question mark is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she remarks.

Commentator McGlynn notes on occasion he's purchased beauty products that look similar to a established label but the actual formula has "no connection to the premium version".

"Don't be sold by the container," he added.

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For more complicated items or ones with ingredients that can aggravate the complexion if they're not created properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate advises using research-backed brands.

She says these probably have been through comprehensive tests to evaluate how effective they are.

Beauty items need to be assessed before they can be marketed in the UK, says expert Emma Wedgeworth.

When the company states about the performance of the item, it needs data to support it, "but the seller does not always have to do the testing" and can instead cite studies conducted by other brands, she says.

Check the Back of the Container

Is there any ingredients that could signal a product is poor?

Ingredients on the label of the tube are listed by quantity. "Potential irritants that you need to avoid… is your mineral oil, your SLS, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up